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Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Nb-Doped ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis Method

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Abstract

Niobium (Nb) doping (0 at.% to 3 at.%) in ZnO thin films prepared by the chemical spray pyrolysis method at a substrate temperature of 400°C enhances the optical and electrical properties but deteriorates the structural quality of the films. The films are polycrystalline with hexagonal structure having a preferential orientation along the (002) crystallographic direction. The film doped with 3 at.% Nb demonstrates a maximum average transmittance of ~83% in the visible region. A strong blue emission is recorded for both pure and doped films, and the intensity is substantially enhanced with Nb doping due to interface and valence-band transitions. Vacuum annealing at 400°C for 60 min improves the electrical characteristics of the films, and the highest mobility of 71 cm2/V s is achieved for the 1 at.% Nb-doped ZnO films.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crystal Growth and Thin Film Laboratory, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620 024, India

    V. Gokulakrishnan, S. Parthiban & K. Ramamurthi

  2. CENIMAT-I3N and CEMOP-UNINOVA, Materials Science Department, FCT-UNL, Caparica Campus, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal

    S. Parthiban

  3. Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620 024, India

    K. Jeganathan

Authors
  1. V. Gokulakrishnan
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  2. S. Parthiban
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  3. K. Jeganathan
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  4. K. Ramamurthi
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Correspondence to K. Ramamurthi.

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Gokulakrishnan, V., Parthiban, S., Jeganathan, K. et al. Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Nb-Doped ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis Method. J. Electron. Mater. 40, 2382–2387 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-011-1755-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-011-1755-1

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